Meetings
by xotashxo
Summary: In which Bucky and Élodie continue to bump into each other in unexpected circumstances.
1. first meeting:parisian street

The city centre was extremely busy, but that was to be expected. Élodie had grown up, here in Paris, so the hustle and bustle of the city was no surprise to her. Although she had moved to New York 5 years ago, she still came back to Paris whenever she could. It was her home, and her best friends, Matthieu and Juliette, still lived here.

Élodie had made the decision to move to New York a few months after Tony Stark had announced that he was Iron Man. Matt and Jules had made that decision with her, deciding that it would be safer for her to live in a city with superheroes, just in case anything happened. Just in case she caused something to happen.

But coming back to her city always made her feel happy, no matter what was going on in her life at the time.

She was on her way to meet up with Jules, Noémi and Aurélie, some of her friends for high school when she managed to walk straight into a wall of muscle.

"Excusez-moi, monsieur! Je ne vous ai pas vu." She apologised immediately.

"I'm sorry, I don't speak french." The man replied, chuckling slightly, dark hair falling over his eyes.

"I said, excuse me, I didn't see you." Élodie translated for the slightly flustered man, smiling up at him.

"It was no problem, at least you apologised. Back home you have to navigate the streets to avoid bumping into people and if someone walks into you, for some reason, its your fault." He smiled back at you. "Anyway, I must get going, my friend's waiting for me." He gave you a little wave, and ran over to a tall blond man standing across the road.

Élodie shook her head, smiling lightly, and made her way over to the little coffee shop where she was meeting her friends, her mind solely focused on the handsome stranger that she had literally walked into.


	2. second meeting:charles de gualle airport

Élodie sighed into her hot chocolate. She had had an amazing week back in Paris, but she had to get back to work, and her life in New York.

Unfortunately for her, her flight had been delayed and that was why she was sipping on a hot chocolate in a surprisingly quiet airport, reading a Rainbow Rowell novel.

As she was engrossed in her book, she didn't notice the man walking past her as she subconsciously stretched her legs out. Subsequently causing him to stumble over her legs. Not fall, but slightly lose his balance.

"Sorry!" She exclaimed, looking up to see a vaguely familiar man starting to laugh.

"Is this a coincidence, or do you have something against me?" He asked, smirking at her.

"I swear I'm not doing this on purpose," she told him. "What are the odds that we bump into each other again?"

He laughed heartily, then sat down next to her after a moment of deliberation. She noticed a glint of metal beneath the sleeve of his shirt, and realised belatedly that he had a metal arm. She didn't say anything though. She knew it shouldn't be addressed as it would most likely make him uncomfortable , if they way he was trying to hide it was any indication.

"I'm Bucky. Well, my real name is James, but everyone calls me Bucky."

"I'm Élodie. It is a pleasure to meet you Bucky." She grinned widely.

Their conversation was abruptly halted when an announcement came through, signalling that her flight to New York was about to start boarding passengers.

"That's me." She smiled softly.

"Me too," Bucky replied. "I better go find Steve, and my bags. Maybe I'll run into you again soon."

"Maybe. See you, Bucky." She said, as she grabbed her carry on luggage, and made her way over to the gate.

What are the odds, she thought, that we ran into each other again?


	3. third meeting:running

Élodie hated being awake before 7:30 am. But here she was, at 6am, on a run with her friend Jack.

She loved going for a run. She felt like she could go anywhere, and set her true self free. But Élodie was more of a late night person than an early morning person.

As it turns out, Jack is the opposite. Which means, if she wants a running partner, and if she wants to go running before work, then she has to get up early.

They're never the only ones out for a run, but the routes they take are usually sparsely populated, so she was surprised when they decided to run on a path on which a small group of people were already running.

The group were moving pretty quickly, but stopped for a small break. As they got closer to them, Élodie could make out some of the faces.

They were on the same path as the Avengers.

Part of her wanted to wait until they had gone ahead, not wanting to disturb them, but she also didn't want to stop and make it obviously clear that she didn't want to pass them. SO they carried on running towards them. They wouldn't take any notice of her.

What she didn't expect was to be accidentally tripped up by one of them.

"Sorry! Oh my God, I'm so sorry- Élodie?" She looked up at the man who had tripped her up, recognition flashing across her face when she realised who it was.

"I honestly think the universe has a funny sense of humour. That, I think, was payback for the last two times we saw each other." She smiled at Bucky, as she took his hand and let him help her up.

"The last two times?" One of Bucky's companions, who she recognised as Sam Wilson, the Falcon, asked her, a smirk evident on his face.

"I walked into him the first time I met him in Paris, then tripped him up at the airport. This was karma." She replied, then glanced at her watch. "Sorry to cut this short, but I have to get home and shower before work. Let's hope the next time we run into each other, there won't be any casualties." She said, smiling at Bucky.

"The next time?" He smirked in response.

"Oh, don't you worry, there will be a next time. The universe seems to love bringing us together."

She turned away and started heading back to her apartment, Jack hot on her heels.

Throughout the day, all she could focus on was seeing Bucky again, and wondering, if he was part of the Avengers, what was his power? Would he accept her if he knew about her…abilities?


	4. fourth meeting:dancing in the rain

Rain had always been soothing to her. Ever since she was little, she had loved the rain. Many of her favourite moments had been in the rain. But today, the rain felt like a miserable end to an already bad day.

Élodie had had a horrible day at work, she had forgotten her purse so couldn't get any lunch and couldn't get a taxi home because she had no way to pay for it. Walking home was her only option. Unfortunately for her, as soon as she started walking, it began to rain. Hard.

She sped up, not really watching where she was going, taking back roads and alleys where she could, so that she could get out of the rain.

She ended up walking into someone.

Not just anyone. The man who she always managed to bump into.

"I swear, this is kinds freaky." Bucky chuckled, as the rain began to get heavier around them.

"Yeah, it is, now if you'll excuse me, I just want to get home." She replied curtly.

"Élodie, what's up? Sorry, you don't have to tell me, we barely know each other, but I can tell when someone's not their usual self." He seemed worried, which made her smile slightly.

"I'm fine, really. I just haven't had a very good day. I left my purse at home so I couldn't get lost and I'm stuck walking home in the rain, even though I usually love the rain but today its just not helping and god, why am I telling you all this and I really need to stop rambling-" She gushed out, feeling slightly embarrased as she felt her clothes clinging to her body.

"Dance with me."

"Excuse me?"

"Dance with me." He repeated, while Élodie just stared at him in disbelief, the heavy rain making both of their hair to stick to their faces. "I used to love dancing, back before the war." Élodie was starting to get a little confused. "I haven't danced in a while. But I've heard there's no better time than the present." He held out his hand to her.

Élodie threw caution to the wind, as she took his hand and he took the lead in a simple two step dance, occasionally twirling her around.

Very soon, they were both laughing hysterically while the rain continued to pour. They were only interrupted when Élodie's stomach growled impatiently.

"Did I mention I didn't have lunch?" She giggled, smiling up at Bucky, who still had his hands at her waist. "I better get going, and have some food. But this has made my day better. ANd it will be added to my list of amazing memories in the rain."

"Before you go, can I have your number? I'd like to see you again, but this time I'd like to plan our meeting rather than wait for it to spontaneously happen."

"Sure, give me your phone." He wordlessly unlocked it then handed it over, waiting silently as she programmed her number in.

"I look forward to your call." She grinned. "Oh, and Bucky?" She questionned, just as he turned to walk away.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." She pressed a kiss to his cheek, then turned the corner and walked away, oblivious to his uncontainable smile.

By the time she entered her apartment, she had a new text.

 **from: unknown number**

 _Have a great night. Also, eat some food. I think all of New York can hear your stomach growling ;)._

 _-Bucky x._

She couldn't contain her smile, though there was a tiny voice in the back of her head saying that he wouldn't accept her if he knew what she really was.


	5. fifth meeting:coffee date

9:43PM  
 _from: Bucky  
Hey, are you doing anything tomorrow? X_  
9:47PM  
 _to: Bucky  
No, why? X_  
9:56PM  
 _from: Bucky  
You are now, because you're going on a coffee date with me :) x_

* * *

Élodie finished applying her lipgloss, then gave herself a once over in the mirror. Her long ebony hair had been slightly curled and was pulled up into a high ponytail. She was wearing a black skater skirt, paired with a baby blue crop top with three-quarter length sleeves, and her red Vans.

It's only coffee, she told herself, trying to calm herself down. There was no reason to be nervous. Except for the fact that she really liked Bucky, and, if their text conversations were anything to go by, they got along really well. She didn't want to ruin it.

Taking a deep breath in, she left her apartment and began heading for the small coffee shop where Bucky had told her to meet him.  
As she neared the shop, she understood why Bucky had chose this one. It wasn't crowded, it was actually quite quaint, and it was very close to the Stark/Avengers tower.

She pushed open the door, and glanced around the petit café, looking for Bucky. He was sat at a round wooden table near the back of the shop, and he waved her over the minute he saw her.  
Smiling nervously, she graciously sat down opposite him.

"Hi." She tucked a stray bit of hair behind her ear, smiling at the handsome man in front of her.  
"Hi." He grinned widely.

They both ordered their drinks, Bucky opting for a black coffee whilst Élodie decided to order a hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows. Bucky chuckled at her choice of drink, and his laughter only increased after she gave him a mock glare. Soon, both of them were in fits of giggles.  
By the time their drinks arrived, they had managed to calm down.

"So, what were you doing in Paris they first time you walked into me?" Bucky asked curiously as Élodie took a sip of her hot choclate, being careful not to get any cream on her face.

"I'm Parisian. I was born and raised in France. I moved to New York shortly after Tony Stark became Iron Man because I wanted a change of scenery and I got a really good job offer here. Plus, if you're going to live in any city in the world, why not live in the one with superheroes? Anyway, I was in Paris because its still my home, and I like going back whenever I have the opportunity." She smiled as Bucky took in all the information she had just given him. "What were you doing in Paris?"

"That's classified." He said, tapping the side of his nose with his index finger. "But between you and me..." He leaned closer and began whispering to her, "Steve and I wanted to get away from the drama of the Avengers, and neither of us had ever been to Paris, so we went on holiday."

Élodie leaned back in her chair, laughing at Bucky's "serious" and "classified" story. They continue chatting and sharing lighthearted stories; she's not ready to dive into the deep stuff, and she can tell he isn't either.

A vibration in her pocket alerts her to a text message. She pulls out her phone to check that its not something urgent, then she spots the time.

"Oh my... We've been here for nearly two hours." She laughs softly, amazed at how quickly the time has gone.

"Well you know what they say, time flies when you're having fun." He grins back at her. "But it is almost half four, and I'm afraid I must be getting back to the Tower." His smile falters when he realises that he has to end their little coffee date. Both of them stand up, Élodie grabbing her back, and they walk out of the café with Bucky's hand lingering slightly on the small of her back, as he opened the door for her.

"I had fun, Bucky. Thank you."  
"It was no problem, doll. I had fun too." She picked up on the outdated term of endearment and smiled, wondering whether spending a lot of time with Captain America had rubbed off on him.

"Can we do this again?" He asked, somewhat shyly, as she nodded her head.  
"You know my number. Just shoot me a text. Or call. I don't mind either." She smiled confidently as he let out a little laugh.

He leant forward and kissed her on the cheek, his metal hand brushing hers ever so slightly, sending little shivers down her spine. "See you soon, Élodie."  
"Bye, Bucky."

They both turned and started walking their separate ways, though neither of them could stop the massive grins that had spread across their faces.

As she walked home, she could't help but think about the way her body had tingles when he had brushed his metal hand against her own. She didn't think the shivers were from the metal.

She was already in deep; she just hoped she didn't ruin it.


	6. sixth meeting:losing control

She was on edge. She hadn't _changed_ in a while, because New York didn't exactly provide the best environment to _shift_ unnoticed. And when she got antsy, her other _abilities_ got harder to control.

She decided that going for a walk was a good idea, to clear her head. She headed for an area in a park close to her apartment that was usually quite empty, so she could calm herself down. She would have to _shift_ soon. Tonight, perhaps.

She reached her favourite spot, but instead of becoming more relaxed, she only tensed more when she saw a group of people in her clearing. Focusing more on their faces, it appeared like she had run into the Avengers, again. They appeared to be having a picnic, and she didn't want to disrupt their outing. Especially in her condition.

But as she began to turn to head back to her apartment, a familiar figure recognised her.

"Élodie?" Bucky called out to her, waving at her. She gave him a sheepish grin, and waved slightly back. He was quick to wave her over, and, not wanting to be rude, she reluctantly walked over.

This was not helping her nerves. Seeing Bucky made her nervous, made her heart beat faster and created soft little butterflies in her stomach. Meeting the Avengers, on the other hand, made her nervous as she did not want to appear as a threat to them. She wasn't. Not entirely, anyway.

But being nervous only made her more antsy. She just hoped she could get away before anyone got burned.

She needed to change.

Or better yet, she needed to use her other abilities, if only in a small dose, to feel more at ease. The longer she left it, the more on edge she would feel. These situations rarely ended well.

"Hey." Bucky said softly as she reached the group. "Guys, this is Élodie, the girl I met in Paris. Élodie, this is Steve, Sam, Wanda, Natasha and Clint." Élodie smiled shyly at the group, all of them giving her welcoming grins, as Sam winked at her.

"You okay, Élodie? You seem... on edge." Wanda was extremely observant, and had managed to pick up on her mood almost instantaneously. She immediately felt a flare of nerves, and it appeared that one comment was all that it took to send her over the edge.

She really needed to work on her control.

A small flame had appeared in the grass, but before she could put it out, Clit had noticed it.

"There's a flame near your shoe, Élodie. You might want to step away." He told her calmly, not wanting her to get hurt, though he was curious as to how the fire had started in the first place.

Instead of moving away, however, Élodie took in a deep breath, and the fame tripled in size. Her eyes were wide, then suddenly closed tight, as if she was concentrating really hard on something.

"How did it start? How is it growing like that? How is it not spreading?" Sam questioned, not sure what exactly was going on, whilst Natasha stared at Élodie, intrigued by the girl and the flame that had so suddenly appeared at her feet. Bucky and Steve were staring as the flame seemed to grow taller, and both were worried about the girl herself getting hurt, but not exactly for the same reason.

Then, as quickly as the flame had appeared, it disappeared again, with no evidence to suggest that it had been there at all. Élodie opened her eyes slowly, expecting to see disgust and revulsion on the faces of the people around her, as that was the general reaction to her ability. But all she could see was curious expressions, and one of slight awe from Sam, who had never quite gotten used to seeing anything out of the ordinary.

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to accompany us back to the Tower. You've got some explaining to do." Steve informed her, giving her a curt nod.  
"Lead the way."

* * *

Tony wasn't too happy with his team-mates bringing a stranger back to the Tower, but a mischievous grin grew on his face once he learnt that the stranger was actually the girl Barnes had kept running into all over New York.

Élodie was lead into a spacious room, with couches strategically placed so every person could see the flat-screen television perfectly at one end, and a large dining table at the other. Everyone made a move towards the table, including Tony Stark and a shy looking man with glasses, so she followed them, at a slightly slower pace.

"Who are you, and what happened, back at the park?" Captain Rogers was straight to the point once they had all sat down. Élodie was sat at the head of the table, with Steve to her left and Natasha to her right. She studiously avoided eye-contact with Bucky, who was sat on Steve's left, as she didn't want to see his expression. She knew there would be hurt and betrayal there. There always was.

"I produced a flame. Its a long story, but I have the time to tell it, if you have the time to listen. But I ask that, if you're going to listen, you don't ask any questions until the end."

Steve looked around at his team-mates, then nodded to her and gestured for her to continue.

"My name is Élodie Benoit, and I'm not human, well, not fully. I'm, um, I think the best way to describe it, so that you can easily understand it, is that I'm like a werewolf. I have a human form and a wolf form, and I can shift easily between the two.

The official term, that we gave ourselves, is shifters. That encompasses all those who can shift between two forms. Not all shifters have a wolf form. It could be any animal. I met a shifter once who had a tiger form. Its different for every pack.

Every shifter belongs to a pack. You're born into a pack. Each shifter has a unique set of abilities, alongside the ability to shift. Each pack is a group of shifters that share those same abilities. My pack's ability, was the ability to control and produce fire.

If you don't use your ability, it, um, I guess you could say it builds up. You feel really on edge and antsy, and the littlest thing can topple you over.

That's what happened today. I went to that part of the park because its usually quite quiet, but you were there. Before I could leave, Bucky saw me, and I couldn't just walk away, because that would be rude. But meeting you guys made me nervous and I couldn't control it anymore, so the flame appeared. And before I could put it out, Clint noticed.

I was already on edge, and I was anticipating a bad reaction as that's what I'm used to, the flame started growing. It took a few deep breaths before I could focus my breathing and put the flame out." She took a deep breath, then glanced around the table to judge their reactions.

"What did you mean, when you said that you were used to a bad reaction? I'm Bruce, by the way." The shy looking man asked her softly, looking as if he didn't want to upset her.

"In the past, when people close to me have found out what I can do, their initial reaction is to be repulsed by me. I've been shunned many times because of who I am. I guess I was expecting the same kind of reaction from you guys." She breathed out.

There was silence for a few minutes until Tony piped up.

"Could you do it again? Right here? Bruce and I missed the show in the park."

Élodie looked at him in slight disbelief, as though she couldn't believe that he actually wanted her to risk it. But when he just smirked at her, she raised her hand up so that her palm was facing the ceiling, and willed a flame to appear on her palm.

Tony let out a low whistle. "That is one neat trick you got there." He got up out of his seat, and poked his finger into the flame, hissing and pulling it back when it burned him. "How does that not hurt you?"

"I have control over fire, so it doesn't harm me. Are there any other questions about my story?" She let the flame die, the placed her hand back in her lap, as Tony sat back down.

No one seemed to have any questions that they could think of at that moment.  
"In that case, I've wasted enough of your time. I'll see myself out."

Just as she was was about to get up and leave, Wanda spoke. "No one's afraid of you here. No one is repulsed by you either. I know what it feels like to be pushed aside because of who you are, and the want to hide that part of you so that people accept you. Please, don't leave if you're worried about not being accepted. I accept you."

"We all do." Bucky spoke up, for the first time since her first display at the park. "But, it is getting late. I'll walk you home." He said as he stood up, and motioned for her to follow him.

"Thank you." She said to him, then turned to face the others, who were all smiling softly at her. "Thank you all."


	7. seventh meeting:truth and trust

Élodie was staring anxiously at the door, her phone ready in her hand should she receive a call or a text. Last night, all Bucky had done was walk her home. They hadn't really talked, but he had assured her it was just because he was trying to wrap his head around her story, not because he didn't want to be around her. He told her that he would come by today, so they could talk. She hoped she wouldn't lose whatever they had started.

She cared about him. A lot, for having only known him for a short amount of time.

After Bucky had left, she had gone to the park nearest her house, and shifted. It was dark, and there was no one around to see her, plus she needed to shift so that an incident like what had happened earlier wouldn't happen again. Not everyone was as accepting as the Avengers were. She had learnt that the hard way.

After spending an hour in the park in her wolf form, she shifted back and headed back to her apartment. Sleep didn't come easily to her, and she woke up early because she was anxious about what Bucky wanted to talk to her about. Luckily, she had the day off work, so she didn't need to be anywhere.

At around 10:30AM, she heard a light knock on her door. She quickly unlocked the door and opened it, to find Bucky on the other side, looking just as nervous as she felt.

"Hi." He said softly.

"Hey." She replied, her voice barely a whisper. "Come on in."

He followed her into her apartment, and they sat down on her couch, after Bucky refused her offer of a drink.

"So, what do you want to talk about?"

"I figured, since I now know you're story, you should know mine."

"You don't have to tell me."

"I know, but I want to. But please, save any questions you have till the end?"

She nodded.

Bucky took a deep breath, then began recounting his story.

"I was born in 1917. Steve was my best friend growing up. When the US joined the war, we both went to enlist. Steve, being a scrawny little thing with asthma, was denied. I, howeve, was drafted into the army. Sergeant Barnes, the 107th Infantry Regiment. I was shipped off to war.

On one mission, my regiment was ambushed by Hyrda soldiers, who were a division of the Nazis. Some got away, but most of us were captured. Myself included. I was separated from the rest of my fellow Allied soldiers, and there was this one doctor who experimented on me, according to Steve. I don't remember much of it.

One day, I could hear chaos breaking out over the facility, and the next thing I knew, Steve was at my side, helping me up. Only, he wasn't the Steve I remembered. He had gone through the procedure and had become Captain America, with the help of the super soldier serum.

After that, Steve got together a group of soldiers and we went around, taking down Hydra bases. We were called the Howling Commandos. Then one of our missions went wrong. Steve and I were on a train, on the mountain side, and I fell out of it, and fell seemingly to my death.

Only I didn't die. The same scientist that experimented on me found me and took me to another Hydra base. It appeared as though they had given me a version of the super soldier serum. From that day forward, they continually wiped my memories, essentially brainwashing me, to become their perfect soldier.

A lot of this was done in Russia, during the Soviet reign over Eastern Europe. They gave me a new, metal arm, using Soviet technology, and I became their assassin.

Whenever they had no use of me, they would put me on ice, in a cryogenic chamber. I didn't age when in there. They would only de-ice me when they needed me to complete a mission.

I've only recently gotten any of my memories back. I was given a new mission, a couple years ago, and it was to kill Steve. I didn't recognise him, didn't even know my own name, but he didn't give up on me. He found me after I went on the run, and he would not back down. We eventually found people who we could both trust, who helped me regain my memories. They've still not all fully returned, but I'm getting there."

"Wow. Um, thank you, for trusting me with that."

"Yeah, well, I feel like I can trust you with almost anything, Élodie. And truthfully, that scares me."

"I know what you mean, and it scares the hell out of me too."

There was an amiable silence for a few moments, before Bucky started slowly leaning towards her. She began leaning towards him, eyes flicking between his eyes and his mouth, smile beginning for form on her face when she realised he was doing the exact same thing.

The second their lips touched, she felt a warm feeling in her gut. None of the sparks people claim to feel when they kiss someone, but she felt a warm fuzzy feeling, like she belonged there.

The kiss was slow and passionate, and when they eventually broke apart, both of them had massive grins on their faces. When their eyes met, they both burst out in fits of giggles.

"So, what now?" She asked.

"Would you like to go on a date with me, tomorrow? Like, a proper dinner date." He asked her, suddenly seeming very nervous.

"I'd love to."

"Great. I'll pick you up at 7." He said, his grin growing ever bigger.

He glanced at the clock, and his grin faded slightly. "I'm afraid I have to get back." She nodded, and walked to the door with him.

He kissed her once again, long and slow. "See you tomorrow, Élodie." He whispered, then walked away down the hallway, leaving her leaning against the doorframe wondering how she had fallen so deeply and easily, so quickly.


End file.
